Author Archives: John Kay
Scottish independence: Give me liberty or ÂŁ500
Scotland would prosper from independence if it became more self-confident and resisted complacent self-congratulation
The Great Escape: Health, Wealth and the Origins of Inequality by Angus Deaton
Large scale poverty is the result of political and organisational failures
Two cheers for the market
Market economies are unpredictable and chaotic—and that is why we should value them
A history of division
Is compromise impossible in American politics?
Making a drama out of the crisis
The financial meltdown has inspired many films. Margin Call is one of the best yet
A good crisis gone to waste
The turmoil following the collapse of Lehman Brothers three years ago was an opportunity to reform the world’s financial system. It was missed...
To the brink, but no further
Scotland would gain few benefits from going it alone that it cannot already get as part of the United Kingdom
DIY investment workshop
With a little bit of technical savvy, can the layman make a return on his investments? Or is this a field for experts alone? Economist John Kay helps Max Hastings manage his money
Making banks boring again
In the modern financial services industry, banks have become casinos attached to utilities. The aim of any regulatory overhaul should be a rigorous separation of the two, with protection only to be extended to retail customers
Puzzles of development
Dani Rodrik avoids the single-template prescriptions of both the Washington consensus crowd and the anti-globalisers. His thoughtful and modest book shows that there are many routes to economic development